Child and Family Language and

Literacy Development

Brandi R. Teran

My Case study child, Amy is 4 years old. She lives with her “mama” and “abuela” and a couple of days out of the week with her “papa”. Amy is currently interested in learning how to read and write. At home, her family provides a rich literacy environment through books, different writing materials/activities and powerful conversations.

Child Information

• Mailbox• Tea Party• Books• Community Involvement

Family Interaction 1 (Oral Language Development and Assessment)

Figure 2-2 “Getting to know your child’s language and literacy practices”

• What she has done vs. what she will be doing • Languages • Literacy practices

Family Interaction 2 (Socio-Cultural Knowledge and Family Interview)

Figure 2-3 “My child as a Language Learner

• Grocery lists• Environmental print• Invented spelling

Family Interaction 2 (Socio-Cultural knowledge and Family Interview)

● Amy is able to spell her name both in all uppercase or lowercase letters and is currently in the process of learning how to spell her full name (first name, middle name, last name).

● Amy enjoys reading books at home and in the classroom. At least once a day, Amy engages in an activity at our writing center. She loves write and draw pictures as well as explaining what her pictures are about.

Language and Literacy Development

• Amy currently enjoys writing letters to her peers, and family members. This interest began when she couldn’t see her “papa” on a daily basis. She would write letters to him and save them in a toy mailbox.

• Post office activity• Through this activity, Amy will be able to engage in conversations

about letters and what makes up a letter. At the end of this activity, Amy will have learned how to write a letter and different ways we can send mail.

• What do post offices look like? Who works at a post office? What do the people who work there do? Where do you think mail can be sent? How is the mail sent? What do we need to send letters/mail? What different things are inside a post office?

Using Data to inform Instruction

Materials:Writing utensils (pens, pencils), Paper (lined paper, blank paper, colored paper, different sizes of

paper), Envelopes, Stamps, Packaging forms, Boxes, Bubble wrap, Tape, Class mailbox, Mail bag and hat, Bins (separating items) , Labels, “A letter to Amy” by Ezra Jack Keats, “Let’s Visit the Post Office” by Marianne Johnston, “Our Post Office and Its Helpers” by M. Salem

Chapter 5 of “Kidwatching” by Gretchen Owocki and Yeta Goodman, “the goal is to raise issues and pose questions that help children reflect on what they know, and to relate new concepts and ideas to those they have developed already”.

My goal for this activity is for Amy to want to learn how to write words and try to put words together to form sentences rather than just simply writing her name.

Using Date to Inform Instruction

• For this event, we created an international travel center where children could come and share stories about where they had traveled or wanted to travel. In order to promote literacy we made passports that the children could create anyway they wanted and wrote inside them where they wanted to go. We also displayed signs of the different airlines they could take in order to get to those places. We provided a globe for the children so they could look at while deciding where they wanted to go. Students were also able to get a picture taken to put inside their passports.

Family and Community Literacy Event

• Amy was well aware of how to manage her way through a library and look for books that she was interested in. She would pick a different person every time to read a new book to her. After every person present had a turn, she decided she wanted to read a book on her own. Amy was able to read 4 full pages of text by herself. When she was stuck on bigger words she looked for help at the people around her. At the end of the event, Amy decided she wanted to check 4 books out. She would keep 2 books at “mamas” house and 2 books at “papas” house. Without this experience I would have not been aware that Amy is already beginning to recognize sight words and in the process of learning how to read.

Pima County Public Library Event: Case-Study Child

It has truly been my pleasure to see Amy grow and develop throughout my time being here. There was never a time when Amy did not surprise me by the things she knew. I know she will continue her language and literacy develop and have a well-rounded vocabulary. I have enjoyed getting to know her family as well and I am so glad they have been so willing to give me this information and the opportunity believe that when a teacher takes the time to form relationships with their students and brings in funds of knowledge into the classroom, it makes children much more excited about learning. to work with their amazing child.

Conclusion